Online scams continue to be popular with criminals and are becoming more complex. But that doesn’t mean that offline scams aren’t still happening as well. Scams conducted via text messages, phone calls, and even snail mail remain popular with criminals. Indeed, with so many people treating their cellphones as an extension of their bodies, people are more accessible by phone than ever before. This is one of the reasons telemarketing scams are still around and often successful. Many people use caller ID and won’t even answer the phone to a number they don’t recognize. However, there are still plenty of people who do answer every call and many who feel obliged to engage in conversation with every caller. Fraudsters can be very persuasive, so once they’ve got you listening, it can be difficult to say no or to detect a scam. Thankfully, if you’re aware of the types of scams to look out for and you keep your wits about you, you’ll have a better chance of avoiding becoming a victim. In this post, we reveal some common telemarketing scams and how to spot them. We’ll also discuss a few other types of phone scams to look out for and provide general tips for keeping scammers at bay. Common telemarketing scams Some of these schemes target specific or groups of individuals, while others involve people being called at random. Some involve phishing, a type of scam in which the caller is trying to find out information (such as personal or banking information) that can be used in other crimes. Phishing via phone is often referred to as voice phishing or vishing. Foreign lottery tickets In this con, the caller proclaims that you are the winner of a foreign lottery. They’ll go to great lengths to convince you of how you even entered for this lottery in the first place, especially since you may not have visited the country it supposedly took place in. They may tell you someone else entered on your behalf or that you qualified for the draw by shopping at a popular store such as Walmart. The foreign factor is important, though, as that’s where the scam comes in. Because these winnings are earned abroad, you need to pay some imaginary fees such as provincial taxes or transfer or administration charges. The caller will either give...

If you’re a regular PayPal user, you may want to take note: Scammers are regularly targeting PayPal and its customer base. PayPal scams can come in the form of emails, phishing sites, malicious ads, suspicious links, and more. Such scams are designed to look official in order to trick users into giving up private data, such as usernames and passwords, or to illegitimately collect payments. Numerous PayPal scams exist, but there are several that you’re more likely to run into. Here are six common PayPal scams that we’ve located, as well as how to avoid becoming a victim to them 1. Advanced fee scam One scam PayPal users should be wary of is more commonly known as Advanced Fee Fraud. This type of fraud, of which the infamous “Nigerian Prince” or 419 scams fall into, are designed to trick victims into sending a comparatively small amount of money with the promise of a much larger return. PayPal users are often targeted with this scam because of the difficulty that exists with getting money returned. Advanced Fee scams over PayPal may work like this: You receive an email with a subject line in ALL CAPS claiming you’ve received an inheritance. Upon opening the email, you find what appears to be an official letter from someone in a high political station. Next, they’ll tell you that you’re due a rather insane amount of money for rather dubious reasons. And finally, you’ll be asked to provide some basic information that will open the lines of communication. Ultimately, the scam collects personal information from you that can be used in identity fraud, while also grifting money from victims. The warning signs for this scam are clear, however, and avoiding this type of scam is relatively easy. How to avoid advanced-fee scams Thankfully, your email service provider filters out the vast majority of these types of scams. If you check your email spam folder, you may even be able to find a few of them (we sure did). However, if an email asking you to make some type of advanced payment in order to receive a greater reward does elude your spam filter, pay attention to the warning signs. The email address likely won’t be from a verified or legitimate business or service, and likely won’t match the name, organization, or government official mentioned...

Online scams continue to be popular with criminals and are becoming more complex. But that doesn’t mean that offline scams aren’t still happening as well. Scams conducted via text messages, phone calls, and even snail mail remain popular with criminals. Indeed, with so many people treating their cellphones as an extension of their bodies, people are more accessible by phone than ever before. This is one of the reasons telemarketing...

If you’re a regular PayPal user, you may want to take note: Scammers are regularly targeting PayPal and its customer base. PayPal scams can come in the form of emails, phishing sites, malicious ads, suspicious links, and more. Such scams are designed to look official in order to trick users into giving up private data, such as usernames and passwords, or to illegitimately collect payments. Numerous PayPal scams exist, but there are...

Scammers will use any available platform to trick innocent people out of their money or goods, and eBay is no exception. The online auction site launched in 1995, and scammers have used it ever since. eBay involves a lot of trust on behalf of the buyer and the seller, but it’s relatively easy for that trust to be exploited. The company has put in some safeguards, but you can do a lot to protect yourself as an eBay user. This guide...

Scammers around the world understand that the offer of large sums of money is too good for some people to pass up. That’s why lottery scams are so successful. Although the details change, the general principle is the same: a person is told they have won a large sum of money in a lottery. In order to gain access to their winnings they are required to send a relatively small amount to cover taxes, administrative fees or customs charges....

The Nigerian scam has been around for a long time. Originally conducted over phone, fax and traditional mail, this scam invites victims to send a small amount of money on the promise of receiving a much larger sum in return. The development of email has made it much easier for scammers to reach new victims. It’s difficult to find statistics that reflect the true costs of advanced fee frauds like the Nigerian scam. The FBI and the...

What should you do when you get a scam email or end up on a scam website? Also known as phishing attempts, fraudulent emails are used to trick people into sharing personal information like social security numbers, bank account details and passwords. This article will tell you how to identify scam emails, what to do if you spot one, where to report scams, and steps you can take to protect yourself if you think you have been scammed....